January 14, 2021 | NPI Staff
Over 300 people representing almost 100 organizations gathered over six days in February 2020 to lay out a plan for population growth in Ontario’s Northern Regions. First in the city of Temiskaming Shores, and then again in Thunder Bay, northerners discussed among themselves how to make their communities more welcoming.
Welcoming not only to new international arrivals but new arrivals from other parts of Canada, other parts of Ontario and, indeed, other Northern Ontario Regions. Welcoming as well to populations already living in our communities who do not feel welcome now. Population growth is not simply an exercise in addition after all, it also requires reducing any subtractions.
This document lays out short, medium, and long-term objectives for all Northern Ontario’s Regions and their constituent communities. This report identifies 16 core themes and 18 separate action items to make Ontario’s Northern Regions more welcoming.
Those themes and actions can be boiled down to five key points:
- We need a plan.
- We need a brand.
- We need to work together.
- We need people to provide services, not websites.
- We need to monitor and update the plan, every year.
These five points should be reflected in the individual actions and strategies of every organization or community looking to grow the population in any of Ontario’s Northern Regions. You can read the Conference Report, Conference Proceedings and the Action Items that arose from the Conference below.